FPMT Spiritual Director Lama Zopa Rinpoche is LDC's Spiritual
Advisor. The reincarnation of the Sherpa Nyingma Yogi
Kunsang Yeshe, the Lawudo Lama, Rinpoche was born in 1946
in the Solo Khumbu region of Nepal near Mount Everest.
In 1959, he went to Sera Je in Buxa Duar, India, where
he became the disciple of Lama Thubten Yeshe. Rinpoche,
together with Lama Yeshe, founded the Nepal Mahayana Gompa
Centre at Kopan in Nepal in 1969. In 1976, the growing
organization was named the Foundation of the Preservation
of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) by Lama Yeshe.

Rinpoche has written numerous books including Ultimate
Healing: The Power of Compassion, Transforming Problems
into Happiness, Wisdom Energy: Basic Buddhist Teachings,
and The Door to Satisfaction: The Heart Advice of a Tibetan
Buddhist Master.

Born in Kham, Tibet, Geshela is from a family of 3 brothers and a sister. His wish to become a monk
began at the young age of 8, a wish that would only be fulfilled 9 years later @ Chamdo Monastery, Tibet. A strong
yearning to see His Holiness again and to pursue extensive monastic studies drove Geshela to join a group of 40
people "a mixed group of lay people and monks" to trek the punishing route of Mt Kailash into India, which took a
few months.

Finally, Geshela managed to enter Nepal and after being processed by the Refugee Reception Office in
Kathmandu, was sent to Tsawa Khangtsen, Sera Je Monastery in South India. While at Sera, Geshela's heartfelt wish to
receive full ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama materialized. This, Geshela says, is one of his life's
greatest joys.

At Sera, Geshela completed the curriculum of the 5 great treatises (Logic, Perfection of Wisdom,
Madhyamika "The Middle Way, Vinaya and Abidhamma) and progressed to the Gelug Exam (the Geshe Lharampa course)
and passed with First Class Honours in 2006. A year at the Gyurme Tantric College followed and after that, Geshela
returned to Sera and was soon approached by the late Khensur Lama Lhundrup to be the Teaching Geshe at Tsum's Mu
Monastery and Rachen Nuunery.

Geshela consented and spent one and half happy years there, even though walking between the
monastery and nunnery meant a 4 hour hike up the mountain to get there and a 2.5 hour trek down the mountain
to get back! Strong legs were required!!

When Geshela was approached to be the Resident Geshe of LDC, Geshela says his first thought was
on what the environment in Malaysia would be like but then he thought that as his main responsibility was to
teach Dharma, it would be fine and that it was his way of fulfilling the wishes of his Gurus and be of benefit
to those who came to the Centre. Geshela commented that he is impressed by the effort that LDC people put into
Dharma study and practice. He says this has inspired him to contemplate even more on the teachings and work
harder to benefit members.